1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to air-cleaning devices for use in a motor-vehicle such as for a car, truck, or airplane; and in particular, to air-cleaning devices of a type adapted to clean the air fed through the passenger-compartment or cockpit thereof, via existing air-ducting aperture(s).
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is commonly accepted that motor-vehicle internal-combustion engines must have clean air to operate properly, essentially to avoid costly engine repairs. However, providing clean air for the human occupants of motor-vehicles has been largely ignored, except in a few expensive luxury motorcars. Presently therefore, the average motorist cannot attain the "luxury" of affording such pre-filtered passenger-compartment air; so are constantly exposed en masse to the road-vehicle exhaust-fumes (carbon particulates, carbon-monoxide, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen), rubber-tire dust, and brake-lining fibers (including asbestos). Moreover, mildew and mold tend to cultivate on heat-exchangers of moist air-conditioners or warm heaters, resulting in moldy spores being blown into the passenger-compartment via air outlet-duct apertures. A resulting moldy odor is most noticeable immediately upon activating the heater or air-conditioner's blowers. In addition, the dust, allergens-pollen, and pollutants within the passenger-compartment also get stirred-up by air blown into the passenger-compartment, whereupon it becomes an accumulative process, particularly aggressive within the intimate confines of a passenger-compartment. Furthermore, this adverse situation actually contributes to motorists feeling overly tired and depleted after a long drive on crowded roadways, owing to inhalation of these adverse air contaminants. Hence, a system devised to ameliorate this condition would contribute to a motorist's feeling of well-being, and thus increase automobile safety.
In the past, practically all efforts to cleanse air being discharged into the passenger-compartment have been directed toward placing a filter within the air-inlet or ducting system thereto, as have been patented chronologically per the following:
By Helwit in U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,034 (filed: July 1974), who shows a "filter attachment for automobile passenger-compartment air-intake"; which is essentially a cowl-intake situated OEM(original equipment manufacture) type arrangement, wherein a laminated porous-full-flow paper-filter is interspersed with activated charcoal. Therefore, the filter is positionally incapable of filtering-out contaminants within the ducting-system, nor can it filter-out contaminants recirculating within the vehicle's interior.
By Bach in French Pat. #2,636,013 (filed: February 1989), who shows both a screw-on and a tapered universally fitting dust-filter cartridge, either to be adapted to the passenger-compartment air-induction inlet of a vehicle; therefore still not addressing the need to filter the contaminants prevailing within the existing ducting passageways.
By Arold in U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,356(filed: July 1991, to Mercedes-Benz), who shows a "passenger-compartment air-filter"; which is made to install within an air-duct serving to draw-in stale-air from the passenger-compartment for recirculation, so as to treat secondary conditions of the air prior to it's being reintroduced into the passenger-compartment air/re-entry ducts. However, the system is not retrofitable to aftermarket installation, nor is it ideally situated at the final outlet stage of the air-ducting system.
By Kowalczyk in U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,346 (filed: July 1992), who shows an "air-purifier pleated-filter to stop pollution for passangers inside of a motor-vehicle"; which is again designed to provide a replaceable filtering media staged deep within the ducting-system.
By Gould in U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,444 (filed: April 1993), who shows a "filtered air-intake for a passenger-vehicle"; wherein an air-inlet and filtering-apparatus for the passenger-compartment is located at the cowl area beneath the hood, so cannot actually filter-out those contaminants prevailing within the ducting-system where it enters the cabin.
By Chiba in U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,620 (filed: August 1993), who shows a "device for cleaning surrounding-air fed into passenger-compartment of a motor-vehicle"; wherein an air-inlet and filtering-apparatus for the passenger-compartment is located at the cowl area beneath the hood, so like the previous example does not actually filter-out those contaminants found within the ducting-system where it enters the cabin.
By Hein in German Pat. #4,303,693 (filed: September 1993), who shows an electrostatic-cleaning device, with an air-filtering element again adapted to fit at the air-inlet stage, not at the air-outlet stage of the air-ducting system.
The preceding filtering apparatus also have the disadvantage of requiring OEM (Original Equip. Mfg.) modification to the vehicle structure; hence, are not really adaptable for retrofitting of an existing operating vehicle. In addition, the prior-art filtering described cannot effectively capture the mildew and mold tending to fester upon the heat-exchangers of moist air-conditioners or warm-air blown into the passenger-compartment via air outlet-ducts.
Therefore, in full consideration of the preceding patent review, there is determined a need for an improved form of device to which these patents have been largely addressed. The instant inventor hereof believes their newly improved passenger-air filtering device, commercially referred to as the "KLEENAIR".TM., currently being developed for production under auspices of the Kim-Mfg./Mkt.Co., exhibits certain advantages as shall be revealed in the subsequent portion of this instant disclosure.